Improvement in hemp-brakes



WILSON L FLETCHER.

n Henp Brake. Y No. 24,966. Patented Aug. 2. 1859.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.,A

ALLEN VILSON AND GEO. C. FLETCHER, OF ST. THOMAS, MISSOURI.

IMPROVEMENT IN HEMP-BRAKES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 24,966, dated August 2, 1559.

To a/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, ALLEN WILsoN and GEORG-E C. FLETCHER, both of St. Thomas, in the county of Lafayette and State of Missouri, have invented a new and Improved Machine for Breaking, Dressing, and Gleaning Hemp; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making apart of this specication, in which- Figure lis a transverse vertical and central section of our invention. Fig. 2 is a lougitudinal section of thesame, takenin the line x x, Fig. I.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the two figures.

To enable those skilled in the art to make A represents a framing, which may be con- .structed in any proper manner to support the working parts.

B B are two rollers, which are placed one v over the other in the same plane, said rollers being toothed. or corrugated longitudinally, and gearing into each other, as shown clearly in Fig. l. The rollers B B extend the whole width ofthe framing, and are placed directly in front of a feed-board, C(

In the framing A, and some distance below the rollers B B, a shaft, I), is placed, said shaft being parallel with the rollers. On one end of this shaft a pinion, E, is placed, said pinion gearing into a spur-wheel, E, which is placed on one end of the shaft of the lower roller B. The opposite end of this rollershaft has a pinion, a, placed on it, which pinion gears into a corresponding pinion, b, on the upper roller-shaft. (See Fig. 2.) By this gearing motion is communicated to the rollers B B from the shaft D. At one end of the shaft D-the end opposite to that where the pinion E is placedthere is secured a toothed wheel, G. This wheel G gears into a pinion, H, which is placed at one end of a shaft, I, the opposite end of said shaft having apinion, J, on it, which pinion gears into a corresponding pinion, K, on a shaft, L. The

two shafts I L have each two cranks, a, on them at each end, each pair of cranks being placed in opposite positions, and all the cranks of each shaft being in the same plane, but

those of one shaft being in a plane oblique to those of the other shaft, as clearly shown in l Flag. l.

In the framing A,at each side of it, aboard, c, is placed obliquely, and between these two boards plates M M N NO O are placed. The plates O O are stationary, but the others are movable, having a reciprocating motion, and connected by rods cl to the cranks ax. The rods d of the plates M N are connected to the cranks of the shaft I, while the rods of the plates M N are connected to the cranks ofthe shaft L. The stationary plate O is placed between the plates N M', and the stationary plate Ois placed` at the outer side ofthe plate M. The ends of the movable or reciprocating plates M M N N are fitted in grooves e in the boards c c, and the plates M M are slotted longitudinally nearly their whole length, as shown at j".

P is an endless apron, which works over rollers g between the boards c c, said apron having an inclined position in common with the boards, as shown clearly in Fig. l. The endless apron is driven by a cord or belt, 71 from the shaft of the upper roller B.

The operation is as follows: Power is com municated to the shaft D in any proper manner, and the hemp (shown in red) is placed on the feed-board C, and is fed. by hand to the rollers B B, the hemp passing between the rollers, and the woody portion being broken thereby. The broken hemp passes over the reciprocating plate N, through the slot f in the plate Il over the stationary plate O and reciprocating plate N, and throughthe slot f in the reciprocating plate M, and over the top of the stationary plate O on the endless apron I). From the relative position of the cranks ax it will be seen that the plates M N move simultaneously in opposite directions, and also the plates M N These movements of the reciprocating plates, in connection with the stationary plates O O', perform the oiice of scutch-blades,77 and completely remove the woody matter, the fiber passing on the endless apron I.

XV e do not claim reciprocating plates, beaters, or swords for scutching hemp, for they have been previously used, although,so far as we are aware, they have been arranged and operated in a different way from that herein shown and described. Neither do we claim toothed or corrugated rollers `for breaking hemp,for they have been previously used; but,

Having thus described our invention, what We claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The arrangement and combination of the i plates M. M N N O O,eaoh pair of plates M M N N moving in opposite directions through the medium of double cranks upon shafts I L, all as and for the purposes herein shown and described.

\ ALLEN WILSON.

GEO. C. FLETCHER. Titnessesz JOHN T. HALL,

J. E. Hrrr. 

